


The Ceremony

by RainbowSerenity



Series: Royal AU [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, Magic, Royalty, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSerenity/pseuds/RainbowSerenity
Summary: Lightning, long-lost princess of Eden, must go through a ritual with the fal'cie Phoenix to establish herself as the new ruler.If only a certain personal bodyguard was around to talk to about such a thing...
Relationships: Hope Estheim/Lightning
Series: Royal AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/882267
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	The Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> My intention with this AU was always for it to be a bunch of oneshots you can read without context from the other parts....but this is the one that makes me wish I'd had the foresight to just make it into a multichapter fic 8)))) 
> 
> If you don't want to go in blindly, I'd HIGHLY recommend at least reading the previous part...but you do you lolol
> 
> ANYWAY

There was such a strange disconnect from staring outside the windows of the palace as opposed to when she’d had to stare out of a hole in the ceiling back when she’d been living in the slums. Back then, she’d be looking up into the smog-covered sky, trying against all odds to see the stars that the fal'cie would bring at night.

Now, sitting in her office, she could literally look down on so much of Eden since the palace towered over pretty much everything except the fal'cie Phoenix itself. It was weird, to say the least.

Well, she supposed it was no stranger than Lightning Farron, former soldier and resident of the slums, being discovered as Eden’s long-lost princess.

Lightning frowned slightly as she watched people go about their daily business. From up here, they looked like ants. It was hard to believe that some could be struggling or confused or going through heartbreak…

Not that she’d know anything about heartbreak. At all. Nope.

“Hey, you finished yet?”

With a sigh, Lightning pulled her gaze away from the window and stared at Sazh, who was officially her adviser, but really played the role of a babysitter. It was insulting if she thought about it too much. “Does it look like I’ve finished?”

“True.” Sazh waltzed up to her desk and pointedly stared at the pile of papers. “'Cause if you _had_ finished this incredibly easy task, I bet you would’ve found me already and claimed that poor ol’ Sazh was overworked and needed a vacation - ”

“I tried to give you a vacation after the ball,” Lightning pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “You told me I’d probably set the palace on fire if you left for a day.”

“And I’m probably right!”

“Doubtful.” Lightning rolled her eyes and tapped her pen against the papers in front of her a few times. “I’m fairly sure that I, a grown adult who’s been taking care of herself since she was a teenager, could easily manage without you for a few days.”

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.” Sazh picked up one of the papers. “Which one are you working on?”

“The letter to Vanille.” Dia Vanille had been an important guest at Lightning’s introduction ball a few days ago. It was a gathering that had officially presented her as Eden’s princess, which, in turn, would hopefully open up new relations. Now she was supposed to be writing letters of intent to get people on her side with whatever she planned to do as regent.

Despite finding the whole practice completely ridiculous, Lightning actually had gotten along fairly well with the Duchess of Luxerion, Vanille. She had to wonder if this was partially because her bodyguard was friends with the Duchess and that made it easier to like her.

Or…former bodyguard, she supposed.

“Keep it short and sweet,” Sazh advised. “Vanille’s not much for long letters.”

“And you think I am?”

“Just let me dream a little, geez. Kids these days.”

Lightning rolled her eyes again, her mind wandering to the ball. Chatting with Vanille and her girlfriend Fang, the Princess of Oerba…dancing in a dress that glittered with an obnoxious amount of diamonds…stepping onto the balcony with -

Ugh, okay, _definitely_ not going there.

After a pause where she wrote a few words, Lightning glanced up. Sazh was scribbling something in a book – probably grading her on her etiquette, hmph. “Was there something else you needed?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Sazh stopped writing and plopped into a chair without any grace. If she’d done the same, he would’ve recoiled in horror. “We didn’t really get a chance to talk after the ball. Gotta say, I’m impressed with how you handled things.”

“It was a glorified dance. Not too difficult.”

That was a lie and they both knew it. Lightning had grown up in a suburb of Eden and then spent her teenage years in the slums – she’d never been to any sort of dance, never mind a ball of the caliber that’d been held in her honor. Being paraded around like a doll had been one of the most difficult things she’d ever done. Luckily, she’d met Vanille and Fang very early on during the night and their new-found friendship had made going through the motions much easier.

There was someone else who’d helped out, but she preferred not to think too hard about that.

“Yeah, yeah.” Sazh waved a hand. “Keep tellin’ yourself that. And tell _me_ your thoughts – anybody there you think we could strengthen an alliance with? Or form one? Technically, Eden’s always been on good terms with the other kingdoms since Phoenix is the most important fal'cie, but there’s always room for improvement. See any of that? Or…” He raised an eyebrow. “Any potential suitors?”

Lightning ducked her head, hoping against everything that the heat she felt simmering under her skin was from a…hot flash or something. Yeah, that totally made sense. She wasn’t about to _blush_ at the thought of a certain personal bodyguard taking her to see a star-filled sky and light-studded city. There was definitely no thought of his hands on her, his lips caressing hers…

“No suitors,” she finally said, clearing her throat and daring to look up. At least her face felt normal. “Serah seemed to like the Patron of Yusnaan, though.” She frowned.

“What, you got a problem with him?” Sazh looked faintly amused. “I know he’s just a kid, but then again, so are you.”

“He just seemed…” Lightning shook her head. There were only a few words she could think of to describe Snow Villiers, and none of them were all that flattering. “But we’ve been on particularly good terms with Yusnaan, so it doesn’t really matter. Fang seemed to like me, so maybe we can strengthen ties with Oerba.”

“That girl’s an odd one.” Sazh leaned back in his chair, looking lost in thought. “I’m pretty sure all she really gives a damn about is Vanille. For awhile, it was lookin’ like Oerba and Luxerion would officially join forces, possibly to try and topple Eden and take over Phoenix.”

Lightning raised her eyebrows. “Could they do that?”

“Probably. Ain’t like the fal'cie care that much.”

She had no idea if that was true. Lightning had yet to see Phoenix in person since being found as the princess of Eden. “Do you think Fang was trying to get on my good side, then? And then betray me when least expected?”

“Nahhh. If Vanille liked you, then Fang’s sure as hell not gonna mess with you or anybody in Eden. And trust me, Vanille is as genuine as they come. Kinda hard to believe she’s royalty sometimes.” Sazh sighed in exasperation. “I’ve worked with so many of you kids over the years that I wonder if you all share the same stick up your ass.”

Instead of biting back with a retort, Sazh’s comment made Lightning ask something she’d been wondering for awhile. “That’s right – both Fang and Vanille said that they knew you. You were an adviser for some members of the old family, too.”

“Glad to see you pay attention when I talk.”

“That doesn’t make much sense, though,” Lightning continued, ignoring Sazh’s comment. “You’re not even twice my age. You said you’ve been serving the old family for years, but if you served Fang and Vanille too…”

“I never told you?” Now Sazh looked confused, but also a little concerned. It was very strange to see him with an expression towards her that wasn’t exasperation. “Huh, guess I wouldn’t have at the beginning. And things have been so crazy with the ball and everything…”

“Told me what?”

Sazh undid the top two buttons of his shirt and tugged it down a bit. It was still hidden under some fabric, but there were a bunch of telltale lines and intersecting arrows that made Lightning sit ramrod straight in her chair, eyes widening a bit. She knew what it meant before Sazh even said the words.

“I’m a l'cie.”

The stories had spread among the slums – scary children’s tales that would send Serah crying into her arms in fear. L'cie were warriors chosen by fal'cie and sent to fight their battles, using magic far more powerful and horrifying than the average person was capable of. They would live forever until the fal'cie grew tired of them and ended their misery with agony, only to gather new warriors and repeat the cycle anew.

Since there hadn’t been a real war in centuries, l'cie were just terrible stories. Even though Lightning knew they were likely just that – _stories –_ nobody she knew had ever met or been one, so it was hard to say what was the truth or not.

It _was_ true, however – recorded in history books and all – that l'cie were branded when they were made. The lines intersecting on Sazh’s skin perfectly matched what Lightning knew.

“You’re – how - ”

“Oh c'mon, you know damn well I’m not some war machine. I hear those stories. Most of ‘em are totally untrue. Probably made up by some fanatic or anti-war group back in the day.” Sazh shrugged and buttoned his shirt, hiding the brand from sight.

“Then what _is_ true?”

“One, we don’t live forever. But it does stretch things out a bit.” He chuckled. “You pretty much stop physically aging once you’re branded. Good thing, or I’d have half a century’s worth of gray hair from all you kids stressin’ me out.”

Lightning did not laugh. She still felt something akin to horror, though Sazh’s nonchalant attitude and her own logic were calming her down a bit. “But _why_ were you branded? I’ve always heard that l'cie were just tools for war.”

“Like I said, stories.” Sazh waved a hand. “Yeah, sure, some were made for war, but most l'cie are branded to carry out a certain purpose, whether for war or whatever else.”

“And let me guess,” Lightning said, her head starting to clear, “your purpose is to annoy me?”

“Close.” He chuckled again. “Nah, the old queen’s mother put in a good word for me with Phoenix. I kinda fell into the adviser role and the royal family was damn impressed. They asked if I wanted to do it for longer, and well…” He shrugged. “Here I am. ‘Course, I’d go out to ally kingdoms or whatnot. In Duchess Vanille’s case, her parents died when she was barely a kid, so I kept an eye on her. I only know Princess Fang through her, though.”

“I see.” And she did, actually. The initial shock had finally worn off. Honestly, she couldn’t see why someone would want to live for years and years doing the sort of thing Sazh did, but now she knew how he was so good at his job…literal years of practice. “And I’m guessing this is common knowledge among the other royals?”

“Well, yeah. I’m everywhere, you know.” He tapped the side of his head. “Can’t do much to hide _that.”_

“I suppose not.” Of course she was the last to know…but then again, she _always_ seemed to be the last to know things lately, so what did one more thing matter?

“On that note, I’ve got some other things I need to do.” The tone in Sazh’s voice had gone so serious that it made Lightning glance up from her letter and frown in confusion.

“What things?”

“Geez, so nosy.” He shook his head. “Don’t you worry about it. Finish your letters and I’ll have one of the assistants come in and proofread them.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

He was already halfway out the door, but still called out as thought he actually had eyes in the back of his head. “I saw that!”

Lightning shook her head and stared back down at her letter to Vanille, tapping her pen against the paper a few times. Even though it’d been quite some time since she’d been found as Eden’s princess, the formality and unspoken rules still baffled her. Ever since meeting a bunch of them at her introduction ball, however, she’d seen that many of them found some of the rules and etiquette archaic as well.

So why did they have to do it?

She sighed heavily and slumped in her chair – a posture that Sazh would frown upon, but for once, she was blessedly alone. Not even a maid was to be seen, although she could hear people puttering in the hallways outside her office. It was so rare these days she could actually be by herself. Usually she at least had her personal bodyguard with her…

“No,” she muttered, chiding herself. She would _not_ think about him. She would _not_ wonder where he’d gone after running from her at the ball, and she would certainly _not_ replay the images of their kiss in her mind.

Nope. Not her.

Lightning heaved another sigh and shoved the papers aside, going back to staring out the window. Concentration was clearly useless, at least for now. She may as well take advantage of Sazh not being around to demand her to do stuff.

–

It was only a few days later when she got the news.

She was in the sitting area of her suite, talking to Serah on the phone – an encrypted, ridiculously secure line, of course. Actually being able to _see_ her sister would’ve been better, but Serah was completely swamped with work at the university and couldn’t get away.

There was always, however, time for a phone call.

“I just don’t get what you see in him,” Lightning muttered, scribbling in the margins of her scrap paper. She was still working on those letters and had been trying to think of good things to say Snow Villiers, Patron of Yusnaan. It was exceedingly difficult.

For her, anyway.

“He’s so sweet!” Serah basically swooned over the phone. “And don’t you think he’s handsome? I wonder if he’ll wear the same outfit at _my_ introduction ball.”

Lightning frowned. “He’s a big lug that kept stepping on my feet.”

“Not to mention that you can tell he really cares about his people.” Serah kept going on like her sister had said nothing. “Maybe it’s because he was elected? I mean, I know you care about everyone in the kingdom, but some of the other royals who have lived it since they were born….it’s different for them. Don’t you think so?”

Unconsciously, Lightning’s grip on her phone tightened. He’d said that to her more than once.

_You know what it’s like on the other side. You’ll be able to bring real change._

Her stomach fluttered and she willed the door to knock – something, _anything_ to let her know that her personal bodyguard was coming back.

_Knock-knock._

She stared at the door. Could it be…?

“Your Highness?”

Her shoulders drooped so quickly that she nearly dropped the phone. She recognized the quiet voice of Yeul, one of her maids. With a heavy sigh, she called out, “Just a moment!”

“Sis? Do you want me to leave?”

“Sorry, Serah.” Lightning heaved another sigh. “I have to go. I’ll call you back tonight, okay?”

“Okay! I should probably get back to all this homework.” Her tone grew teasing. “You think they’d let a _princess_ catch a break.”

“If you’d wanted to catch any breaks, you wouldn’t have applied to the most prestigious university in the world,” Lightning teased back. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Love you!”

“You too.”

Another quiet knock sounded at the door. This time, Lightning stood, her posture automatically straight as she smoothed down her clothes. As there hadn’t been anything urgent on her schedule for the day, she’d opted for comfortable slacks and a thin cashmere sweater – clothing she’d take over diamond-studded ball gowns any day.

“Come in.”

Yeul entered the room, dropping into a curtsy. All of the servants continued to be ridiculously formal around her, despite her insistence otherwise. It was sort of why she appreciated Sazh nagging her all the time, though hell would freeze over before she’d admit it.

And speak of the devil…

“Mr. Katzroy requests that you join him in the conference room, Your Highness.”

Lightning frowned, the request immediately striking her as odd. Usually Sazh sought her out himself when he needed something, or at least would bring her to whatever room he needed. Especially since this palace was ridiculously huge and she still didn’t always know her way around.

“Conference room?”

“Yes.” Yeul bowed her head. “Allow me to escort you.”

“Sure.” Lightning was all too happy to leave her papers and thoughts of writing to Snow behind…although surely whatever Sazh had planned for her would be just as annoying.

It turned out she wasn’t too far off.

Yeul murmured something into a speaker that was attached to the earpiece she was wearing, presumably telling her coworkers where she was. The rest of the walk was fairly quiet, which was fine with her. Lightning was more than okay with staring at the paintings and priceless artifacts that adorned the walls. A lot of them were portraits of her extremely distant ancestors. Apparently she and Serah would have to sit for portraits at some point and then they’d be on the walls forever. It was a very weird thought.

When the finally reached the conference room, Yeul curtsied again before opening one of the wide doors. “Her Highness, Princess Lightning, has arrived,” she called, her soft voice echoing into the empty room.

“Thanks,” Lightning said, nodding at Yeul before she stepped inside. There was a weird flash of gold that struck Yeul’s eyes, but it was probably just glare from all the artifacts around them. Weird.

The conference room was huge, with tons of folded seats and what looked like a stage and podium. It reminded her a bit of a theater without the screen. “Sazh?”

“Over here.” He was off to the side, where there was a table and some chairs covered with papers. She hurried over to him. “Always makin’ an old man wait, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah.” It felt weird to comment on that since now she had a rough idea of just how old Sazh really _was_. “How come you called me here?”

“Nobody ever uses this room and I wanted to inform you of something in private.”

Instantly, Lightning’s heart began to pound. For whatever reason, her first thought was of the night of the ball. Had someone seen them out on the balcony? Was there some protocol about a princess and her bodyguard sharing a kiss?

“It’s about your coronation.”

She let out a huge breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding, slumping in her seat a bit. She ignored the evil eye Sazh gave her. “What about it?”

“As you know, the old family kept their power tightly reigned.” The more he spoke, the more serious Sazh became. It was weirdly off-putting. “All of the descendants have been, more or less, direct from the first king. Kinda a cut and dry family tree, even with all the marriages and what have you.”

“Right.” Lightning vaguely recalled this when she’d been forced to study the old family. The crown almost always went to the firstborn son or daughter, which wasn’t so unusual for royalty, she supposed, but the family tree was streamlined to the point where many of the firstborn’s siblings rarely got married or had children of their own. It was why she and Serah being a part of all of this was basically unprecedented.

Very weird.

“Like I told you, I’ve had some dealings with the old family. And I’m not _that_ old to remember the first king, but there’s a reason they kept the family as it was.”

“Sazh, please.” Lightning was rapidly running out of patience. She wasn’t really sure _why_ , but something in her just wanted to hear the news already. “Get to the point.”

“So impatient,” he muttered. “Okay, fine – long story short – the coronation and ruling status are only valid with approval from Phoenix.”

It felt like a block of ice had suddenly dropped in her stomach, although it took her a moment to rationalize why. “Approval?”  
  
“Yes.” The serious tone in Sazh’s voice grew. “You meet with the fal'cie in a special one-on-one ceremony. Phoenix will brand you as the next ruler of Eden. Not like a l'cie,” he added hastily, when Lightning’s gaze focused on the spot where his brand was hidden. “There’s no permanent mark, although it lasts ‘til you’re officially crowned. Then you’re free to rule as you please.”

The ice turned to lead in her gut. “Okay, so I meet with Phoenix and it…approves of me.” She frowned. “Why tell me this in secrecy? This is probably common knowledge among the royals, right?”

“Yeah. Some of the others brand their rulers like this too, but Phoenix is the most important because, well…obvious reasons and all.”

“I see.” The perfect placeholder reply, because this whole thing made her feel… _uneasy._ Phoenix was arguably the most important fal'cie in the world. Without the sun and life it provided, there would _be_ no world. The fal'cie from other kingdoms could easily be replaced with hard work and effort from humanity.

But the sun? There was no replacement for that.

The enormity of her role in the world suddenly hit her like a train. It didn’t matter if her sister or the other royals or certain personal bodyguards believed in her. She’d never been very good at following rules and had always thought of herself as very independent. The fact that she was to be in charge of _everything_ under something else’s power made her want to take a sword to Phoenix just to rid the world of it, so humanity could try to thrive on its own.

Not that she would – or _could –_ ever admit this out loud.

“There’s one other thing,” Sazh added when she said nothing more.

Lightning rolled her eyes a little, mostly out of habit. “What?”

He didn’t comment on her rudeness. “I know for a _fact_ that you’re part of the royal bloodline. Ol’ Sazh did his research. You don’t even want to _know_ what dusty old books and old family records I had to look up to find you and your sister.”

“You’ve mentioned this.” She raised an eyebrow. “Many times, in fact.”

“'Cause it’s true.” There was a pause before his voice went grave. “However, if Phoenix doesn’t approve of you for whatever reason or decides you’re not worthy of the power to rule…”

Lightning waited a moment for him to finish, but she knew what he meant when he trailed off. This, maybe, was the source of her instant uneasiness when he’d started talking. It was everything she hadn’t known she was dreading since coming into the conference room.

“…Phoenix will kill me.” She met his eyes. “Won’t it?”

“There’s not much of a chance it’ll disapprove of you,” Sazh replied quickly. She wondered who he was trying to convince. “Like I said, I did my research and you’re a part of the bloodline. I’ve heard that’s all it really cares about. It’s not like the fal'cie really give a damn about human affairs, y'know?”

“Right.” She ignored the unsaid words – there was still that chance Phoenix would cast her aside and everything would be for nothing.

_Better me than Serah._

That was what it always came down to, the first thought her instinct went to. Serah was the one who deserved a comfortable life with responsibilities chosen by her and not some rule or bloodline. It was because of her sister that Lightning had worked her ass off when they were still in the slums, doing everything she could to give Serah ever opportunity possible.

She never thought there was the possibility it could lead to her death.

But what about her role now? Though she hadn’t asked for any of this, she was slowly finding herself eager to make changes around the kingdom of Eden and make things better for people who weren’t long-lost members of the royal family.

“ _You’ve seen both sides. I think that’ll eventually come to be your biggest strength.”_

Even though she kept trying not to think about a certain personal bodyguard, his words from the ball popped into her head. She’d always taken his reassurance to heart, but now it had a thousand times more meaning.

Though she would never deny that Serah had also suffered in the past, Lightning had _always_ watched out for her and sacrificed so much to ensure that her needs were met. Their experiences were different because of that.

Nobody had ever looked out for Lightning until now.

And because of that, she was the only one who could _truly_ change things.

She was quiet for another moment as though contemplating, but short of running away, there was really only one answer. There had only _ever_ been one answer.

Lightning sucked in a breath and met Sazh’s eyes, trying to steel herself with determination.

“What do I need to do before meeting with Phoenix?”

–

As with practically everything related to this princess business, the pre-ceremony rituals were completely over the top and ridiculous. Someday she’d realize that nobody around here ever did things simply.

Over the next couple of days, she rehearsed the ancient words that would summon Phoenix to an audience with her. A handful of older maids – ones that had been tasked with all of the ritual business with the old family – helped her with cleansing baths and created the ceremonial outfit. They were all sworn to secrecy.

She figured that made sense. If she _was_ killed by Phoenix, it’d be easier in the long run to play it off as some kind of accident rather than the most important fal'cie in the world rejecting her.

But she tried not to think about that. Besides the maids – and Sazh, of course – the only other person who knew about the upcoming ceremony was Serah, and that was simply because there was no _way_ she was keeping this a secret from her sister.

Lightning didn’t mention the risks, though. Some things were better kept quiet.

“Snow talks to Pandaemonium sometimes,” Serah mused over the phone. It was the night before Lightning’s meeting with Phoenix and she decided she’d needed the distraction. “Maybe he could give you advice!”

“I don’t want any advice from that big lug.” She rolled her eyes, not wanting to admit she was curious, but… “…Talks to it how?”

Serah’s voice was a little knowing, but she didn’t tease. “He told me it’s not so much words. It’s not like conversing with a person – the fal'cie send images and they get clearer the more you have a mutual understanding.” She hummed a little. “Maybe it’s easy for him because he was _elected_ the Patron.”

“Or maybe his head’s so empty that the images come easier because there’s nothing in the way.”

“ _Sis.”_ Serah huffed in exasperation. “Be nice.”

“I’d be nicer if you were less interested in him.”

“But he’s so sweet!”

“Hmph.” _This_ was what she wanted to worry about – who was good enough for her sister and ridiculous things like that…not if the fal'cie who basically sustained the world was going to kill her.

She couldn’t let herself think about it.

Luckily, Serah was eager to keep chatting – mostly about Snow, to Lightning’s disgust – and her nerves settled somewhat. Her sister was the one person who could distract her from this whole princess thing.

Well, her and another person, but she didn’t want to think about him, either.

The night passed quickly and soon Lightning was too tired to even hold up the phone. She fell asleep quickly without having time to dwell on the ceremony the next day. Just as planned.

Ironically, the sun woke her gently the following morning, which was a nice change from her alarm going off or someone knocking on her door. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d woken up so calmly.

If only it was enough to make up for what was about to happen.

The calm was unfortunately short-lived, because about thirty seconds after she’d stood up and stretched, someone knocked at her door.

“Your Highness?”

Lightning sighed heavily, immediately recognizing the voice of the oldest of these in-the-know maids. “Come in.”

There were three of them and they filed in slowly, their hands clasped in front as they walked. She realized this was an incredibly serious and formal situation, but the realness of it smacked her in the face at the sight of the maids looking so grave. That lead block that’d formed in her gut when Sazh initially told her about all of his returned in full force.

“This way.” One of the maids gestured to her ensuite bathroom, where another maid was already running the water. Lightning could see her adding special oils and herbs to the tub, apparently part of the whole cleansing ritual.

She was already long used to shedding her modesty in front of other people since this whole princess thing had become a part of her life, but she’d never hated it more than she had at this second. Undressing and slipping into the tub in front of the others just made this whole thing feel weird and awkward and way more serious than she wanted it to be. It didn’t help that she knew arguing was useless; the oldest maid had a glare that could probably take down Sazh – a trait she’d love to learn, to be honest. Maybe she’d ask for lessons later.

Provided she survived Phoenix’s judgment, of course.

With that thrilling thought in mind, Lightning allowed herself to be dried after the bath and wrapped in a robe. She had to admit that whatever had been added to the bath made her skin feel like new. There’d never been any time or money to bother with girly lotions and potions before Sazh had found them, but maybe there was some merit in it.

Once she was sufficiently dry, she was led into her enormous walk-in wardrobe, where the ceremonial gown was waiting for her. It was actually quite a beautiful dress – a flowing garment in shades of gold, white, and blue. There was a cape with a long train attached to the back, maybe just to add to the ridiculousness. Phoenix’s brand was embroidered along the edges in gold.

The maids helped her into the gown and simple gold shoes. One of them clasped a gold bracelet with multicolored stones around her wrist.

“What’s this?” Lightning asked, lifting her arm to inspect the bracelet. A number of jewels were kept in her wardrobe and a lot were in storage, but she was fairly sure she’d never seen this one before. It was weirdly flashy and simple at once.

“A gift from Phoenix, Your Highness,” the youngest of the maids answered (although 'young’ in this case was about eighty years old). “It’s said that that fal'cie itself put it on the wrist of the first king. Ever since then, it’s been a tradition to wear it to the Meeting.”

Lightning suddenly lost all interest in the bracelet and dropped her arm. “Oh.”

The final part of her outfit was a headpiece that fit snugly in her hair. Long lines of gold extended from the band in varying lengths, the longest about a foot. It formed a semicircle around her head – made to resemble rays of the sun, she realized as she looked in a mirror.

“When you’re ready, we’ll escort you,” the oldest maid said after a pause.

“…Right.” Lightning let out a breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

If any of them found her comment weird, they made no mention. Instead, they simply ushered her out of her suite. The hallway – which usually had people milling about cleaning and whatnot – was empty except for them. Two of the maids stood on either side and one was in front to lead the way.

They walked like that the whole time in silence, the only sound being the whoosh of her cape flowing over the floor. Usually Lightning reveled in quiet, but this silence felt way too heavy. It carried foreboding.

Doom.

Still, all she did was recite her summoning words in her mind, hoping she wouldn’t forget them. She’d never been one to crack under pressure, but this was a whole different level.

It seemed like they’d walked for miles before they finally stopped in front of an enormous door. Lightning realized she’d actually passed this area a handful of times, but the door was nondescript and tucked away, so she’d never given thought to what could be behind it.

The maid in front slowly pulled the door open. Sunlight poured in and she tried not to squint at the glare.

“We can go no further,” the maid said. “Please head forward for your ceremony.”

“Thanks.”

They all curtsied in unison as she stepped into the light, not rising until the door slowly creaked shut behind her. Forget the lead in her gut; her stomach was doing cartwheels by now.

“That you?”

Lightning never thought she’d be so damn grateful to hear Sazh’s voice. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding and hurried over – as much as she could in this outfit, anyway – and even though he still looked grave and serious, it was still a relief to be around someone normal.

Well, normal to _her,_ anyway.

“I didn’t think you’d be here,” she said, trying to sound composed. “I thought it might be against the rules or whatever.”

Despite the serious expression on his face, Sazh smirked a little. “What have I been tellin’ you? There’s no getting rid of me. Besides, you have any idea what you’re doing right now?”

Lightning looked around the room for the first time. It was weirdly bright and white, though she could vaguely make out ornate designs on the walls in gold. Ahead of her was more brightness and – was that _fog?_

Yeah, she was totally lost.

“Thought so,” was all Sazh replied at the look on her face. “All right, lemme lead you through it. Ask your questions or forever hold your peace.”

“Just tell me how to get to Phoenix,” she replied. “I want to get this over with.”

“Fair enough.” He shook his head in exasperation and then gestured to the weirdly bright, foggy area in front of them. “Head forward until you see a crystal. It’ll be floating in midair, so try not to freak.”

“I’ve seen freakier things.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes, which was oddly comforting. “Once you get to the crystal, hold cup your hands around it.” Sazh held up his own hands to demonstrate. “Then recite the summons you’ve undoubtedly memorized. That should take you right to Phoenix.”

Lightning held up her hands in the same way Sazh had. “Crystal, hands, recite. I think I’ve got it.”

“You do.” He stared at her a moment and then sighed, bowing his head a bit before nodding. “You really do. You’ve got this.”

If that was his way of saying he was sure she’d survive…the confidence actually worked somewhat. Much to her annoyance, Sazh really did know a _lot_ and she trusted him. It was not guarantee, but at least it was something.

“Right,” she murmured, squaring her shoulders. “I’ll be back.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

As she headed into the fog, Lightning could’ve sworn she heard some footsteps echoing behind her, but she did not dare to look over her shoulder. Eyes front. If she lost her nerve now, she’d never be able to do this again.

Time lost all meaning as she walked through the light and fog. There was no comfort in it, but oddly enough, she had no fear, either. Maybe Sazh’s confidence in her had actually worked. Maybe it was because she had to survive for Serah.

Maybe it was because, according to a certain personal bodyguard, she could bring about real change.

She had no idea how long she’d walked before the crystal appeared in front of her. It was shaped a bit like a diamond and reflected rainbows into the whiteness around her. Just as she was supposed to, she hovered her hands around it and closed her eyes, bowing her head as she spoke.

“ _O Mighty fal'cie Phoenix, I seek you so that I may govern in your blessed name. Guide me to your knowing light so that I may humbly gaze upon you.”_

She felt stupid chanting the words, especially since she wasn’t quite sure how much she believed in them. Apparently belief didn’t matter, though, because the crystal suddenly blinded her – even though her eyes were still closed – and she had the sensation of movement. It felt like falling, but she was still upright. Lightning didn’t dare open her eyes in case it broke some kind of spell. Sazh hadn’t mentioned any of _this!_ She was definitely going to rant at him when she got back.

_If_ she got back.

When things finally stilled, Lightning took a moment to breathe, her eyes still closed. It was extremely unusual for her to just stand around and put herself in any sort of vulnerable position, but what _wasn’t_ unusual about all of this? Surely a breather wasn’t out of line.

There was about ten second of silence before an unfamiliar rumbling noise and a flash of head made her finally open her eyes. She could not contain the gasp that ripped through her at what was before her.

“ _Phoenix.”_

The fal'cie was long and skinny on both ends, with smaller pieces of its body – _was_ that a body? - extending from it. Whether these parts were something otherworldly, nature, machine – she had no idea. In the middle it was round, filled with a light so bright that she couldn’t stare for long.

It was nothing like she had ever seen or imagined.

Of course she had seen fal'cie before. Most everyone had. There were smaller ones that worked in separate jurisdictions in Eden, doing various tasks like providing electricity or things for export. Not all of them in other kingdoms made themselves hidden, either. They were just a part of the landscape and a part of _life_ that nobody really took notice of them.

Now she understood why Phoenix was hidden away.

It was impossible _not_ to take notice.

Lightning stepped forward unconsciously, not sure if she wanted to run towards it or away. She felt dazed, which was _not_ a sensation she was a fan of, but what else could she do?

There was noise coming from the fal'cie, but she wasn’t sure if it was trying to speak or if that was just how it sounded naturally. Surely something so massive and powerful couldn’t be completely silent.

The sounds were like screams and whispers all at once, having the strength to ruffle her gown and cape, but somehow not loud enough to hear. Something about it made her want to take a sword to the massive being in front of her, but who was she to deny the world of this?

And then it happened.

Phoenix cried out and a beam of light shot right towards her, too quickly to avoid. It scorched her chest, painful yet not. She could _feel_ the swirls and intricacies of Phoenix’s brand, letting it become a part of her and she now was of it.

Blurry, hurried images flooded into her mind. Lightning vaguely recalled Serah mentioning Snow’s experience with his fal'cie, that the images became clearer with mutual understanding.

But she and Phoenix _had_ no understanding. She still couldn’t tell whether she hated it or wanted to give thanks. There was an underlying buzz of Phoenix not knowing what to make of her, either – just that she _was_ of the bloodline and she could rule unscathed.

The images she saw were most of people she only vaguely recognized from the portraits in the palace – memories of her extremely distant ancestors. Some were of the stars and moon, extensions of the fal'cie from even farther away than this. One image would come, only to be immediately replaced by another, and she could make no real sense of them.

Until that moment.

“ _Hope?!”_

Everything was still so fast, but now Lightning willed her mind to slow, _anything_ so that she could sort out why Phoenix was showing her images of her personal bodyguard.

She saw Hope, handsome as ever, talking to a group of people in a glass building that gleamed with perfection.

Another of him in a white and yellow outfit that seemed strangely familiar – but it wasn’t the garb he wore as her bodyguard.

Him talking to a shorter woman who, again, seemed oddly familiar.

His eyes sliding to look at Phoenix.

His hands working on something that could have been otherworldly, nature, or machine.

His gaze on her for a thousand different reasons, most worthy of a secret.

His shame as he ran off from her at ball.

In that instant, something clicked in Lightning’s mind, though her heart was pounding and her breath was coming too fast to really sort it out. The images abruptly stopped and the brand on her chest cooled.

“How do you expect me to - ”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence before there was that sensation of falling again. Phoenix had dismissed her?! She’d survived its judgment, but for what?

There was no making sense of it. Time had no meaning.

When she stopped falling, Lightning opened her eyes in a daze and emerged from the light, a bit surprised to see Sazh, but also -

“Hope,” she whispered, her heart pounding again. It was too much for her body and mind. Her knees shook and she pitched forward.

But like any good personal bodyguard, Hope raced to her, his eyes wide with panic as he caught her. She settled into his arms so easily – too easily.

“Light,” he said, her name hardly a gasp. His eyes darted to Phoenix’s brand, which was on the left side of her chest, impossible to miss against her pale skin. “Light, why? _Why_ did you do it?”

She stared up at him, a thousand images replaying in her mind in an instant. How could she possibly put them together in a way that made sense?

But maybe she already had.

Her hand reached up to shakily brush some of his bangs from his worried face. Worried for who, she wondered?

“You’re not a bodyguard,” she murmured.

Then everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> :))))))))))))))))
> 
> I have many more hoperai fics on [tumblr](http://rainbowserenity.tumblr.com), come say hi~


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